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Hunt for the Bamboo Rat
Author:
Salisbury, Graham
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Class:
Fiction
Age: 12-19
Language: English
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LC: PZ7.S152
Grade: 7-12
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ISBN-13: 9780375842665
LCCN: 2014005743
Imprint: Wendy Lamb Books
Publisher: Random House Inc
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Pub Date: 09/09/2014
Availability: Out of Stock Indefinitely
List: $16.99
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Hardcover
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Physical Description:
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323 pages ; 22 cm.
H 8.6",
W 5.88",
D 2.2",
0.9875 lbs.
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LC Series:
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Prisoners of the Empire
Prisoners of the Empire series
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Brodart Sources:
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Brodart's Insight Catalog: Teen
Brodart's TOP Young Adult Titles
Brodart's YA Reads for Adults
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Bibliographies:
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Middle and Junior High Core Collection, 12th ed.
Middle and Junior High Core Collection, 13th ed.
Middle and Junior High Core Collection, 14th ed.
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Awards:
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Horn Book Guide Titles, Rated 1 - 4
Kirkus Starred Reviews
Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People
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Starred Reviews:
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Kirkus Reviews
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TIPS Subjects:
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Historical Fiction
Espionage
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BISAC Subjects: |
YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Asian American & Pacific Islander
YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Historical / United States / 20th Century
YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Places / United States
YOUNG ADULT FICTION / War & Military
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LC Subjects:
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Historical fiction
JUVENILE FICTION / General
Japanese Americans, Fiction
Japanese Americans, Juvenile fiction
Philippines, History, Japanese occupation, 1942-1945, Fiction
Philippines, History, Japanese occupation, 1942-1945, Juvenile fiction
Prisoners of war, Fiction
Prisoners of war, Juvenile fiction
Spies, Fiction
Spies, Juvenile fiction
Survival, Fiction
Survival, Juvenile fiction
World War, 1939-1945, Philippines, Fiction
World War, 1939-1945, Philippines, Juvenile fiction
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SEARS Subjects: |
Historical fiction
Japanese Americans, Fiction
Philippines, History, 1942-1945, Japanese occupation, Fiction
Prisoners of war, Fiction
Spies, Fiction
Survival, Fiction
World War, 1939-1945, Philippines, Fiction
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Reading Programs: |
Accelerated Reader Level:
4.1
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Points: 8.0
Lexile Level:
510
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| Annotations |
| Brodart's TOP Young Adult Titles | 09/01/2014 |
| In a teenage spy novel based on a true story, 17-year-old high school graduate Zenji leaves Hawaii for the Philippines as a translator when the Army sends the boy to spy on the Japanese. Lost for months in the jungle, Zenji fights to survive, well aware that compromising his cover as an alleged American citizen means unbearable torture. 336pp. |
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| Starred Reviews: |
| Kirkus Reviews | 09/01/2014 |
| A novel that begins before Pearl Harbor sends a Japanese-American teen on a top-secret mission to the Philippines. Born in Hawaii of Japanese parents, 17-year-old Zenji Watanabe is fluent in English and Japanese. In August 1941, his high school ROTC commander recruits him for the U.S. Army Corps of Intelligence Police, and he is sent to Manila to mingle with Japanese businessmen and collect information. When the Japanese army invades, Zenji is taken prisoner. Steadfastly maintaining his cover as a civilian, he refuses to admit that he is the Bamboo Rat, his cover name, and is tortured by the Japanese secret police. He eventually finds himself working for a Japanese colonel as a translator and houseboy and is able to use the position to help the Filipino underground. When the U.S. forces return, he escapes into the jungle, surviving despite a wound and starvation so extreme that he eats raw rat. His strength derives from his love of family and country coupled with his belief in honor, courage and forgiveness. Salisbury has once again crafted a fine novel, based on an actual person, about first-generation Americans of Japanese descent and the clash of culture and national identity that World War II accentuated. Written in short, rapid-fire paragraphs that move the plot along at a brisk pace, the story will leave readers spellbound. A gripping saga of wartime survival. (maps, author's note, glossary, resources) (Historical fiction. 13-18). 320pg. KIRKUS MEDIA LLC, c2014. |
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| Journal Reviews |
| Booklist | 09/15/2014 |
| Grades 7-10. Zenji Watanabe, 17, is a first-generation Japanese-American living in Hawaii. Based on the story of real-life figure Richard Sakakida, this chronicle introduces readers to the life of a young Japanese American just as Japan and America are becoming combatants in WWII. Zenji's perfect Japanese and English make him a valuable asset, and he is suddenly recruited as a special undercover agent in the U.S. Army Corps of Intelligence Police. Salisbury grew up in Hawaii, and he tells the dangerous tale of Zenji's four-year mission in sharp detail. Throughout, Zenji proves himself to be thoughtful and, important for his ancient cultural heritage, honorable. Fans of Salisbury's other titles in the Prisoners of the Empire historical fiction series will relish the suspense that he skillfully develops and resolves. Give this also to readers who enjoy movies like Argo. Bush, Gail. 336. AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION, c2014. |
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| Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books | 11/01/2014 |
| R. Gr. 7-10. Salisbury returns to the theme of his previous acclaimed books (Under the Blood-Red Sun, BCCB 11/94, etc.), the plight of Japanese-Americans in World War II, who were American patriots mistrusted by both homeland and enemy. Zenji Watanabe's flawless mastery of English and Japanese is well known to his ROTC officer, so the recent high school graduate is quickly recruited into military intelligence and sent to Manila, just in advance of U.S. entry into the war. Of course, Pearl Harbor ups the ante of his mission, and his superiors instruct him to allow himself to be captured among the Filipinos rather than Americans, the better to gain further intel, as well as to maximize his own chances for survival. Unfortunately, when he's rounded up into an internment camp, Zenji is singled out by his captors as a possible American spy or Japanese traitor, either of which is likely to assure his execution. Salisbury bases his novel on the wartime experiences of decorated Army intelligence agent Richard Sakakida, with other real life figures taking on supporting roles. Although the dialogue-rich text is accessible to younger readers, the complexity of Zenji's cat-and-mouse game and the intensity of the torture scenes suggest a more mature audience with some background knowledge of World War II. This is a worthy companion piece to the Under the Blood-Red Sun titles, now remarketed as the Prisoners of the Empire series. EB. 336p. THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE UNIV. OF ILLINOIS, c2014. |
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| Horn Book | 11/01/2014 |
| Middle School, High School. In August 1941, seventeen-year-old Zenji Watanabe is out of high school and ready to make a future for himself. He is Nisei, speaks perfect English and Japanese, and is recruited by the U.S. Army as a special undercover intelligence agent working in Manila, code name: Bamboo Rat. It's a dangerous assignment to be in the Philippines on the eve of Japanese invasion and imminent American involvement. He's American, but looks Japanese, and soon finds himself caught in the middle; indeed, he's thrown in a POW camp, tortured, and forced to be a houseboy and office worker for Colonel Fujimoto in Manila. When he eventually escapes, he gets lost in the jungle for months. Inspired by the real-life story of Hawaii-born Richard Sakakida's service during World War II, it's a tale of espionage, torture, escape, and jungle survival. There's somewhat of a disconnect between the prose style, which is appropriate for younger readers, and the mature content. The minimalist cadence is distancing, making it difficult to engage with the story: "Breathe. Long, slow breath. Think. He's just a guy. Got a little sister. A dog. His mother likes him. Maybe." Still, the history is fascinating, and Zenji is a fictional hero readers will long remember. dean schneider. 325pg. THE HORN BOOK, c2014. |
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| Horn Book Guide | 05/01/2015 |
| 2. In 1941, seventeen-year-old Zenji Watanabe is recruited by the U.S. Army as a special undercover intelligence agent working in Manila. He's caught and thrown in a POW camp. When he eventually escapes, he gets lost in the jungle for months. Inspired by the real-life story of Richard Sakakida's service during World War II, it's a fascinating tale of espionage, torture, escape, and survival. ds. 325pg. THE HORN BOOK, c2015. |
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| School Library Journal | 09/01/2014 |
| Gr 5 Up. Zenji Watanabe is Nisei, an American with Japanese parents, living in Honolulu on the eve of World War II. As tensions are rising between his parents' homeland and his own, his old ROTC commander offers him secret work away from his home that will utilize his particular language skills. This title is a welcome new angle in historical fiction on the Japanese-American experience during the war, and it is based on a true story. Geared toward middle grade readers, Salisbury is careful not to linger on the more unpleasant and violent aspects of Zenji's time as a POW. Fast-paced and compelling, this title will be enjoyed by voracious and reluctant readers. L. Lee Butler, Stoughton High School, MA. 336p. SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, c2014. |
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9780375842665,dl.it[0].title
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